VAC-13104 Senior Program Assistant

• Established in 1951, our client is the leading inter governmental organization in the field of migration & works closely with governmental, intergovernmental & non governmental partners. They are dedicated to promoting humane & orderly migration for the benefit of all & it does so by providing services & advice to governments & migrants.

• They are the coordinating agency on the regional & country level Migrant Response Plan (MRP) which stands as a comprehensive framework aimed at supporting migrants bidirectionally traveling the Horn of Africa & Yemen. The MRP focuses, mainly, on the delivery of humanitarian & protection assistance to migrant population, returnees & host communities along the eastern route but also the provision of community stabilization & capacity building to vulnerable migrant returnees & local authorities respectively. As part of MRP interventions, our client closely works with Migration Response Centers (MRCs) & relevant authorities & partners to respond to immediate needs of migrants stranded in transit locations Somalia.

• Under the overall supervision of the Program Manager of the Migrant Protection & Assistance (MPA) Unit & the direct supervision of the National Program Officer, the Senior Program Assistant will contribute to the implementation of Migrant Response Plan (MRP) & the Migrant Protection, Return & Reintegration (MPRR) within the wider scope of interventions including but not limited to provision of protection assistance to migrants through MRCs, arrangements of return & pre departure support, capacity building of local authorities on the protection of migrants etc.

• Assist the National Program Officer & the Program Manager in setting up reintegration procedures, forms & database for the returning migrants. 

• Conduct interviews to verify family & clan links with applicant’s contacts (including clan leaders, identified family or clan members) & carry out Best Interest Procedures (BIPs) for UMCs & vulnerable groups prior to return.

• Coordinate with the Ethiopian Community Center (ECC) & the Ethiopian Embassy to carry out screening & travel document issuance.

• Arrange Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) movements from Mogadishu (Somalia) to Ethiopia & other destinations.

• Provide administrative, logistical & financial support needed for the post arrival & reception assistance of returning migrants through provision of Onward Transportation Assistance (OTA) to the returnees’ final destination.

• Act as operational escort for returnees / migrants in need of support to reach final destinations.

• Assist in providing counseling to returnees, early identification of special needs such as protections & health gaps & concerns & ensure effective referrals for specialized assistance in Banadir region (Somalia).

• Assist returnees in planning & implementing their preferred reintegration schemes, facilitate the procurement and delivery of reintegration support packages, support in planning payments to service providers & vendors.

• Support in the collection, entry (digitizing & encoding into a database), ensuring accuracy & cleanliness of data & preparing AVRR data for further processing, analysis & reporting. 

• If needs arise, support in liaising with the relevant government authorities for screening & referral of potential cases including returnees as wel as assistance under the guidance of National Program Officer & overall leadership of Program Manager.

• Liaise with actors & partners on the ground to carry out Best Interest Determination (BID), joint assessments, screening missions on potential migrants & returnees prior to assistance & return.

• Contribute to development of reintegration workplans, reporting & quality assurance of MPA programs providing protection support to migrants & returnees.

• Perform any other duties as may be assigned.

This role works under the overall supervision of the Program Manager of the Migrant Protection & Assistance (MPA) Unit & the direct supervision of the National Program Officer.

• Bachelor’s degree in community development or social work a combination of relevant education from an accredited academic institution with four years of relevant professional experience or a high school degree / certificate in the same field from an accredited academic institution with six years of professional experience.

• Proven ability to establish & maintain strong working relations with relevant government & non governmental counterparts, international organizations, civil society or private sector entities.

• Experience in the area of migration, refugees & reintegration of migrants & victims of trafficking preferably in Somalia.

• Experience in working in an international, local or associated organization.

• Knowledge of project & case management (with children, migration groups etc.).

• Knowledge in migration issues in Somalia & in Puntland in specific.

• Knowledge of reintegration & referral pathways in transit areas including Puntland.

• Knowledge in Microsoft Office package (Word, Excel, Power Point etc.).

• Fluency in English & Somali is required (oral & written) & working knowledge of regional languages is an advantage.

• Respects & promotes individual & cultural differences. Encourages diversity & inclusion.

• Maintains high ethical standards & acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles / rules & standards of conduct.

• Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent & committed manner & exercises careful judgment in meeting day to day challenges.

• Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.

• Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected & fairly treated.

• Develops & promotes effective collaboration within & across units to achieve shared goals & optimize results.

• Produces & delivers quality results in a service oriented & timely manner. Is action oriented & committed to achieving agreed outcomes.

• Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge & innovate.

• Takes ownership for achieving the organization’s priorities & assumes responsibility for own actions & delegated work.

• Encourages & contributes to clear & open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring & motivational way.

This role has no team management responsibility.

• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.

• The highest educational certificate for the selected candidate will be sent for verification.